If any of the fast food chains know how to execute seasonal menus with impressive panache, it's Taco Bell, (YUM) which also holds the non-official award for Most Impressive Number of Remixes of The Same Ten Ingredients (especially if you consider they've been at it for 60 years).
With March 20 marking the first day of Spring, most are us are more than ready to bid adieu to the frosty, dark months, and enjoy some sunlight again. Taco Bell, being the all-seeing, all-knowing deity that it is, is more than aware of that, and has in fact been planning on taking advantage of that moment for quite some time now.
And now, its strategic plot is unveiled in the form of its latest menu offering, which just oozes that energy of warm, bright beach days, colorful blooming trees and flowers, and pulling out your favorite sunglasses.
And while its no Mexican Pizza (but what ever could be), it's surely going to be calling the name of many a customer rolling through the drive-thru in the coming months.
Taco Bell
What's New at Taco Bell?
Not content with simply bringing Nacho Fries back from the dead and jamming Cinnabon into its coffee, the Bell is also mixing up its well-loved frozen drink menu with a few new offerings.
The newest ones are cherry-based, called the Cherry Sunrise Freeze and Wild Cherry Freeze. The Sunrise drink is for fans of all things tropical, as it mixes a swirl of pineapple orange into a cherry base. And the Wild Cherry is made for the cherry purists out there.
And of course, if you're more of a Taco Bell purist, the usual regular and frozen classics are still there too: Baja Blast, Pink Lemonade, and orange juice (wait....who wants OJ with their tacos?).
Both the new drinks are $2.99 and available now, so if you need to add a bright spot to your lunch hour today, you know where to go.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell's Strategy Continues to Blend Success
It's notable that despite Taco Bell's age, it's managed to do something that most of its competitors still struggle to nail: Gaining the allegiance of a young, social-media savvy audience.
Rather than look around and try to imitate what other chains are doing, Taco Bell has chosen to embrace its identity as the late night-choice for those who have probably been drinking and perhaps should not be operating a motor vehicle.
It also keeps a close eye on social media, mastering the difficult tone of being a young user versus trying to imitate the young users for cool points. One look at its Twitter tells you that it understands internet subculture in ways other brands don't even scratch the surface of, such as this recent tweet that basically acknowledges that it totally gets the fanfiction subculture.
So yes, Taco Bell's seasonal menu game is a strong one, but that's a game everyone else in the business plays. The reason people care about the seasonal menus in the first place is because Taco Bell's marketing makes them feel understood and keeps them laughing. Brands can't just imitate Millennial and Gen X culture norms and expect to pull off a similar feat.
